The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is an American three-engine aerial refueling and cargo aircraft derived from the DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force Advanced Tanker Cargo Aircraft Program. It was chosen to supplement the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker after experience in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and it was the second McDonnell Douglas transport selected by the Air Force after the C-9. The first aircraft flew in July 1980, and 60 were produced for the Air Force. The Royal Netherlands Air Force also flew two similar tankers converted from used airliners. It served from 1981 until its retirement in 2024, taking part in operations from the 1986 bombing of Libya to the Iraq War.
Facts
Engine Class Comparison
Body StyleAircraft (no road body style) 1 Connections
Exemplifies
Source McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender (Wikipedia)
Of Make
Source McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender (Wikipedia)
Lead
The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is an American trijet aerial refueling and cargo aircraft developed from the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force's Advanced Tanker Cargo Aircraft Program.
Design and development, first flight
The KC-10 Extender first flew in July 1980.
Specifications
Powerplant: 3 × General Electric F103 (GE CF6-50C2) turbofan engines, 52,500 lbf (234 kN) thrust each
Lead, production
60 KC-10s were produced for the USAF.
Lead, service
It was in service with the USAF from 1981 until its retirement in 2024.
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.